The Hero Awards, in collaboration with Afghan Women Rising, are creating the world's largest 'solution engine' for the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as announced during the Geneva plenary session. According to CIO John Toomey, each of the UN's 169 targets beneath the larger goals is being transformed into a prompt for AI bots, starting with platforms like OpenAI's GPTs, Gemini's Gems, and Claude Artifacts. These will evolve into full-fledged AI assistants capable of continuously updating themselves to achieve progress toward the goals.
A significant portion of the work is being carried out by members of Afghan Women Rising—young women in Afghanistan who are denied formal education due to the Taliban-led government's ban on schooling for girls. They build the bots online and then hold in-person discussions to refine prompts and incorporate the human element. 'Having these girls design the prompts allows them to sidestep the ban against schooling,' says Program Director Amy Chang. 'They get valuable experience building projects that will contribute to sustainability both in and outside of their own country for a long while, and prepare themselves for a time in which their talents will be vital for the country's future.'
In developing the protocols, the girls have been inspired by the writings of J. Kutcher, particularly her use of garden plant growth as a metaphor for the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth of young women. Once a protocol is completed, its creator becomes eligible for a Hero Award, which requires suggesting previously unknown strategies for advancing the UN targets. Successful efforts are publicized on The Hero Awards website and in press releases.
Since the program was announced six months ago, individuals from other organizations in the Global South have requested involvement and will be included in future iterations. These groups include PARI (People's Archive of Rural India), which serves underserved populations in rural India; Siku.org, a nonprofit aiding First Nations in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland; Cybersmartafrica.org, a network of teachers and students in Senegal preserving local cultures and improving digital literacy; Terrastories, an open-source application for South American and Amazonian indigenous communities to map and share oral histories; and Winyama, an Australian indigenous group using cultural mapping to document Dreamtime stories, songlines, and historical land use.
The June Hero Award winners include Tara Jensen, Maria Ortiz, Herman Matsui, and Wilhelmina Searles. More information can be found on Substack, Reddit, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For the UN's Goals and Targets, visit sdgs.un.org/goals.
This initiative not only provides educational opportunities for Afghan girls but also leverages AI to tackle global sustainability challenges, potentially accelerating progress toward the SDGs. By involving diverse communities from the Global South, the project ensures that local knowledge and perspectives are integrated into the AI solutions, making them more relevant and effective. The expansion to include groups like PARI, Siku.org, and others underscores the collaborative nature of the effort, which could serve as a model for inclusive, technology-driven development.
